Knesset 5-8

The Seventh Knesset

Election date: October 28th, 1969 – 16 Cheshvan, 5730
Duration: 4 years and 2 months

Issues on the agenda	Important Events during the 7th Knesset
Dissolution of National Unity government	Yom Kippur War
Law of Return – amendment no.2 defines “Who is a Jew”	UN peace initiative (Jarring mission)
Housing problem for immigrants from Soviet Union	US peace initiative – Rogers Plan
Activities of Jewish Defense League in the USA	Geneva Middle East Peace Conference
Activities of Rabbi Meir Kahane and attempts to convince members of Israel's minority populations to emigrate from Israel	Immigration wave from Soviet Union
Economic gaps in Israeli society, coining of the term “poverty line”	Black Panthers start a series of violent demonstrations in Jerusalem
Subject of traffic accidents debated for the first time	Terrorist attack at Lod airport
	Murder of Israeli sportsmen in Munich

The Sixth Knesset

Election date: November 1st, 1965 – 6 Cheshvan, 5726
Duration: 4 years

Issues on the agenda	Important Events during the 6th Knesset
Crystallization of two political groups: Gahal and Ma’arach	Six Day War
Israel's first National Unity government formed on eve of Six Day War	Knesset moves to permanent premises at Givat Ram, Jerusalem
Gahal and Ha’olam Hazeh-Koah Hadash demand implementation of national health insurance system	Security Council Resolution 242 regarding the territories
First public debate on disappearance of children of Yemenite families. Investigation commission set up to clarify issue	Decision on unification of Jerusalem
	French military embargo on Israel
	Eastern bloc countries break off diplomatic relations with Israel
	New version of PLO (1968) begins wave of hijackings. El-Al plane to Algeria hijacked (October 1968)
	Abolition of military administration over Arab population of Israel (1966)
	First Israeli television broadcasts (1968)

The Eighth Knesset

Election date: December 31st, 1973 – 6 Tevet, 5734
Duration: 3 years and 5 months

Issues on the agenda	Important Events during the 8th Knesset
Results of the Yom Kippur War	Agranat Commission appointed to examine failures of Yom Kippur War (01/04/1974)
First time in Knesset and among Israeli public: ideological polarization on the future of the territories	Resignation of PM Golda Meir, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and Chief of Staff David Elazar
Whether to hold talks with the PLO	New government sworn in, headed by Yitzhak Rabin
	Status of Women – following establishment of Commission of Inquiry headed by MK Ora Namir  Gush Emunim founded (February 1974)
	UN compares Zionism to racism (1975)
	Soviet Union closes its gates and public struggle begins for right of Jews to immigrate to Israel
	Ma’alot terrorist attack
	Terrorist attack at Savoy Hotel, Tel Aviv
	Entebbe rescue
	PM Yitzhak Rabin resigns against background of bank account in USA

The Fifth Knesset

Election date: August 15th, 1961 – 3 Elul, 5721
Duration: 4 years and 2 months

Issues on the agenda	Important Events during the 5th Knesset
Finance: new economic policy dealing with price stability and setting a single exchange rate	End of Eichmann trial
Ethnic discrimination in Israel and small number of students of North African origin in higher education institutes	Establishment of diplomatic relations with West Germany
	Bringing Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s remains to Israel
	Cancellation of military administration for Druze population

Past and Present Knessets